MLB Playoff Wrap: Red Sox Firmly in Control
By Tim Haberin
While the Wild Card battles rage on, other MLB clubs are looking to finally wrap up their divisions. The Red Sox took another convincing step in that direction last night.
Not too long ago, the AL East appeared up for grabs, but the Boston Red Sox look like they want to put the matter to bed once and for all. They defeated the division rival Baltimore Orioles 5-1 on Thursday night at Camden Yards. The win, their seventh straight, lowers the Sox’s magic number to clinch the division crown to six. Not a bad time to put together your longest winning streak of the year.
The O’s actually looked like they might keep Boston’s high-powered lineup at bay before things fell apart in the sixth inning. Baltimore got on the board in the third on an Adam Jones sacrifice fly, but the 1-0 lead wasn’t going to hold up against a Red Sox offense that loaded the bases in the first, fourth and sixth frames before the floodgates finally opened.
Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez labored through 106 pitches before being removed with one out in the sixth. Brad Brach came on in relief, and with the bases juiced and two out, he induced a ground ball that should have ended the inning. But first baseman Chris Davis rushed his throw, and the ball skidded past Brach covering the bag. Two runs scored on the error. Rookie left fielder Andrew Benintendi then delivered the knockout blow by clubbing a three-run homer, giving the Sox five unearned runs in the inning.
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The O’s failed to launch a comeback, managing only one more hit for the remainder of the game. The ever-unpredictable Clay Buchholz tossed seven frames of one-run ball before being relieved by Brad Ziegler, Robby Scott and Craig Kimbrel. A possible reason for Buchholz’s good outing? Pitching out of the stretch even with no runners on base, a suggestion made to him by hitting coach Chili Davis no less. Worth keeping an eye on.
Despite the loss (its third in a row), Baltimore retains its grip on the American League’s second Wild Card. Elsewhere in the league, the Mariners outlasted the Blue Jays in 12 innings by a score of 2-1. Toronto still holds the top Wild Card slot with a one-game buffer over the Orioles, but plenty of teams are nipping at their heels. The extra-inning victory moved the M’s to within two games of the final Wild Card berth, while a 6-5 win over Oakland puts the Astros only a game behind.
The Tigers’ meeting with the Twins was cut short due to rain, so they remain a game back as well. The clubs will play a split doubleheader on Thursday, during which Detroit will look to keep the pressure on.
And despite last weekend’s tough series in Boston, the Yankees are still hanging around. They’ve now won two in a row against the Rays and sit 2.5 games off the pace. They came out on top last night by an 11-5 margin. Gary Sanchez hit two more home runs in the affair, bringing his season total to 19. Yeah, those Rookie of the Year debates aren’t going away.
Over in the Senior Circuit, the Mets, Cardinals and Giants all entered the day tied in the Wild Card race, and they left it in the same fashion. The Mets lost their third straight contest to the lowly Braves, further squandering what they likely hoped would have been a nice opportunity to create some distance from their Wild Card foes. Yoenis Cespedes belted a potential game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth, but center fielder Ender Inciarte leaped up and grabbed the ball before it traveled over the fence.
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Fortunately for New York, they weren’t alone in the loss column. The Cardinals also lost on the evening thanks to an 11-1 drubbing at the hands of the Rockies. The Giants fell to the Dodgers by a score of 9-3. Los Angeles’ win puts their magic number at five to clinch their fourth straight NL West title.